Pride before a Fall
by Obsessive And Opinionated
Summary: If she wasn't so scared, so young, so proud, they wouldn't be fighting. But she is, and they are. He knows she's scared of the future, of them, but he needs to talk about it now, Chaos take it! A Lianne II and Alan II oneshot.


**Pride before a Fall : Lianne II and Alan (II)**

"You're just being difficult now, Alan.", sighed Princess Lianne, looking as unaffected as possible at his indignant splutters.

"_I'm_ being difficult? You're being bloody difficult!", Alan of Pirate's Swoop roared, with a temper reminiscent of his mother for the first time in his life, "How is this _me_ being difficult?" His tone was demanding and, though Lianne didn't want to admit it, hurt. She turned to face him, annoyed to discover he had been giving her _That Look_ he so recently acquired, arms hanging limply be his sides. She hates That Look; it stares onto her soul and churns her emotions up all funny and she actually feels guilty for a second. However, she is a princess and a Conté and there is no way in the realms of the Immortals that she will let him know what his stupid Look does to her. She scowled at him before continuing to pace away through the portrait gallery.

"Lianne, was it so wrong to ask?"

No answer. Alan sighed unhappily, and she knows all too well how much like a kicked puppy he would look right now.

"Horse Lords!", she heard him mutter, as she stared determinedly at a painting of her great-great-great-grandmother, before he started again, "Lianne, it wasn't like I asked you too marry me. It wasn't even me trying to tell you that we should court, or anything. I- I just think we are different, I mean… Oh gods, what _do_ I mean?" Alan trailed off unhappily again.

Lianne continued to stare at the portrait, giving him no signs, secretly watching his reflecting in its glass covering. She saw him run his hands through his hair before he gathered up his courage and tried again, "We aren't anything yet, Lianne, but we _could_ be. That's the point. And we could be happy together. All I'm saying is, for that to have a chance - for us to have a chance, you wold have to talk to your parents about avoiding an arranged marriage. Can't you even think about it, Lianne? Or is it too late? I just- I thought we could be happy… And we can… I… Lianne? Please, just talk to me." His voice forlorn, Alan looked up with tired eyes. Lianne slowly turned her head, bright blue eyes frosty with anger, till she faced Alan. Frustrated, she spat at him, "Oh come on, Alan! What princess has ever married for love? Give me an example."

"That Copper Islander princess, Sarai, Aly's friend.", returned Alan quickly and triumphantly.

"And she had to leave the country, Alan! I hardly want to elope. Give me another, _better_ example.", scowled Lianne demandingly.

"Thayet, your mother."

Lianne sighed, "I'm well aware of who my mother is, Alan. She doesn't count. She fled her country too, and she fell in love with _royalty_."

Alan's jaw clenched. His gaze fiercened. And once again, very fleetingly, Lianne felt guilty.

"Is that why we aren't discussing this properly? Because I'm half-commoner? And so you don't think you could fall in love with me, marry me?"

All traces of guilt gone, Lianne held her head a little higher, "I. Am. Fourteen. I won't consider marriage or anything of the sort, Alan! You're as bad as my parents; all anyone wants is to marry me off before I have a chance to be _me_! I don't want to promise myself to anyone, not yet! I want to live my life, thank you very much, Alan!"

Her pointed accusation that he didn't care hurt Alan, and his temper quickly rose to meet the princess', "I'm fourteen too, Lianne! And I've come to talk to you, my best friend, _because_ I care and because I _don't_ want you to be married off, dammit!"

"Then why, numbskull, are you suggesting it?"

By now they were bellowing at each other, red-faced and breathing heavily and furious.

"Because I won't _have_ another chance to suggest it! Because I won't be able to fend off your thrice-damned suitors! Because I need you to think about it before I leave! _Because I probably won't see you for four years, Chaos take it!" _Alan's glare was nowhere near as terrifying and hurtful as the prospects of those words.

Calmer, in a clearly forced way, he continued, "Because Lord Raoul asked me to be his squire and I accepted, and we're spending at least two years with the Bazhirs, and any remaining time visiting Tusaine. So I came to see you before I left, but I _clearly_ made a mistake." He paused, opened and closed his mouth unhappily, before finishing tersely, "Goodbye, _Princess_."

He stormed angrily out of the portrait gallery and away.

Lianne stood, in shock, as her lips slowly formed the words "You're _leaving?_" and her eyes filled with tears. She turned back to her great-great-great-grandmother and tried to make herself angry again, but the fight had gone out of her; Conté or not, princess or not. If she wasn't so proud… They _could_ be happy together, she knew it, but she was still too scared, too young. But four years without Alan? Lianne wasn't sure, that is… She _hoped_ she could cope without him.


End file.
